Overview

The gunfire erupted about 6 p.m. at Cash America in the 9800 block of Airline near West Mount Houston.

The man was struck twice and taken by ambulance to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His identity was not available late Wednesday.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the man in his mid 20s had been inside the Cash America Pawn shop asking to see some jewelry. Following store policy, employees asked him for an ID, and when he wouldn't produce one, they called the sheriff's office.

"They felt he may have been casing the place for a robbery," Harris County Sheriff's Office Deputy Thomas Gilliland said.

As a deputy arrived, the suspect was leaving and that's when it all went bad.

"He asked the suspect for an ID. The suspect said that his ID was located in his vehicle. He followed him to his vehicle on the side," Gilliland said. "As the suspect reached into the vehicle, he produced a handgun from behind his waistband, pointed it at the deputy and fired twice. Our deputy, fearing for his life, fired back, striking the suspect two times."